The chairman of Ghana’s National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof Fred Awaah, has described the Accra Sports Stadium as “a death trap”, warning that the facility’s deteriorating condition poses a serious safety risk.

Prof Awaah said the stadium would have been demolished and rebuilt if the authority had the power to do so, following an inspection on Wednesday involving NSA officials, members of the Ghana Sports Fund and government representatives.

Speaking to Citi Sports after touring the facility, he expressed concern over its structural condition.

“That’s just a death trap. You never know when the entire place will collapse, maybe with a big population, where we will have another disaster,” he said.

“Again, if we had our own way, we would have pulled down the infrastructure for a new one to be underway.”

The Accra Sports Stadium has undergone several renovations over the years ahead of major international tournaments.

It was modernised in 2007 as part of preparations for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and was last refurbished in 2018 before Ghana hosted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite those upgrades, the latest inspection has renewed concerns about the stadium’s safety and its ability to continue hosting major sporting events.

The venue remains one of Ghana’s principal sporting facilities and is among the stadiums approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to stage Category A matches.

The inspection comes as Ghana steps up preparations to host the 2027 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, while the Black Stars are due to begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign in September.

Authorities are expected to intensify rehabilitation efforts to ensure the stadium meets the required safety and international standards before future competitions.